| Partnership for Food Safety Education

Child care providers have a lot on their plates. In the ever- important field of caring for children, there’s always something else to learn! Yours for Children Inc. (YFCI) is dedicated to providing Massachusetts family child care providers with the skills and resources they need to keep their charges safe and healthy. Participating in the Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP) is free for family child care providers and along with education, providers get monthly reimbursements funded through the USDA for healthy meals served.

We caught up with Nancy Casten, a Nutrition Education Coordinator/Training Specialist at YFCI to find out how food safety education fit into their host of offerings. Nancy herself is often surprised at how little people know about food safety, so she realizes the depth of its importance for training child care providers.

YFCI presents a food safety training every year that culminates with a home study quiz to ensure the providers have a good understanding of the material. The organization encourages followers to share what they learn to amplify the number of people reached through the messages. Through the power of sharing, 1,000 providers could reach several thousand households with food safety information.

In addition to this training and quiz, YFCI does a newsletter to keep providers up to date between trainings.

At the Partnership for Food Safety Education, we also believe strongly in the power of sharing. This story is a good reminder that by sharing messages and working together, we can achieve a food safe America.

GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England

Kendra Bird, the Director of Nutrition for The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), is responsible for the safety of nearly 40 million pounds of food that passes through the facility annually. GBFB is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England and among the largest food banks in the country. Kendra oversees menu and recipe design for the Kids Cafe program, which coordinates with the local Boys & Girls Clubs to feed 1,500 disadvantaged children dinner five nights of the week. She divides her time between nutrition education, food safety, and nutrition analysis of the massive quantity of food that passes through GBFB. Food safety education is integral to the mission of GBFB, and ensures nutritious food options for half a million people in need each year.

Yours for Children Inc. Supports Massachusetts Child Care Providers

Food Safety at the Greater Boston Food Bank